An Organization Of Values Diversity - 1656 Words

An organisation that values diversity will gain a positive reputation, the way it’s seen by potential employees and organisations. Valuing diversity can attract candidates it shows an organisation practises employment discrimination; in line with the Equality Act 2010 protecting employees against discrimination, race, age, gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or sexuality. If a company wishes to expand worldwide, a diverse workforce can improve communication between countries that they may wish to work with, resulting in higher sales and profits. Diversity gives employees a deeper understanding of different cultures enabling them to adapt accordingly. Diversity increases productivity, when a diverse team working towards a particular†¦show more content†¦External factors that could affect talent planning are factors such as recession, to ensure an organisation continues to run efficiently and effectively during the recession, an organisation may introduce a recruitment freeze, meaning that employers may use current employees for roles they are not necessarily experienced in, resulting in an employee feeling overloaded causing employees to seek further employment. How a company is portrayed by the media can affect talent planning, attracting candidates can become difficult due to people not wanting to work in an industry that is exposed to bad media and publicity, meaning that an organisation cannot attract the right candidates or result in employees wanting to leave. An internal factor could be budget, recruitment department could have to re-evaluate the current advertisement methods used to recruit and choose a more cost effective method. Another internal factor may be staff turnover; it may be that an organisation needs to focus on the requirements and moral of their staff to ensure they are content; this would then lower the staff turnover figure resulting in lower costs of recruitment. There are many benefits as well as disadvantages from using social media/networking as a form of recruitment methods for organisations.

Outline the case for Votes at 16 Free Essays

In Modern time we have seen the voting system become fairer and simpler in order to incorporate all members of society. From giving Women the right to vote many citizens have believed that the voting age should in fact be lowered from the current standard EU Law of 18, to the minor age of 16. The idea of this vote has been popular among citizens however it seems to be less popular among the older generations. We will write a custom essay sample on Outline the case for Votes at 16 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Firstly if young people were given the opportunity to vote then it would allow them to engage more within their society. So in theory if more teenagers feel that they are part of the community then we could expect to see a drastic fall in national crime rates for this age bracket. It makes sense for young people to develop a political opinion whilst they are young and it would ensure that the vote represents a wider society therefore making the political system fairer. At the age of 16 many young people have completed their education and therefore it would make sense for them to be allowed to vote. By the age of 16 they would have been able to form options and does Article 21 of the UN Human Rights list state that every citizen (regardless of age) has the right for their voice to be heard and for action to be taken accordingly. By the age of 16 young people can enrol themselves to serve HM Armed Forces. Therefore if a 16 year old can serve their country, be offering their life then why are they not allowed to vote? Stopping 16 year olds from voting could be classified as discrimination, for a particular group of society are being shunned away due to personal characteristics. Currently a 16 year old can be tried in an Adult Court of Law and sentenced to terms in Adult Prisons. This seems unfair if teenagers do not have the right or ability to question acts of law, in means of voting in a general election. The voice of young people is being shunned away. At the age of 16 the law provides teenagers with the right to leave school and move away from home. These abilities are far more serious than voting due to the fact that the will have huge effects on the person’s later life. I believe that society has rejected the idea of students voting due to the fact that they are being stereotypical. In my opinion society look upon teenagers as outcast thugs whom destroy society. As we begin a chapter in modern politics it is time that we leave these views behind and accept that in fact a huge majority of 16 year olds are in fact strong and educated members of society. Many students at the age of 16 will begin a new chapter into adulthood consequently these students will go out into the world of work. Despite not being able to vote the students will still have to pay taxes! This seems unjust when you consider that they do not have the ability to vote for what they believe to be the fairer tax policy. Young people are the future of this country and therefore they should have the ability to input what they want they would like their society to be like within the future. If a student was to vote at the age of 16 then by the age of 20 a government would have already have shaped their future. I believe that a 16 year old has a stronger right to vote over perhaps a 70 year old for they are the future of tomorrow. It is amazing that despite years of education and a number of new rights 16 year olds can not vote in an election, these seems unjust considering that they are subject to the laws that Parliament makes and they would be subject to paying tax if they were to work. The exclusion of 16 year olds from the ballot boxes is discrimination and a deprivation of a basic international human right. How to cite Outline the case for Votes at 16, Papers

Ideas Behind the Complexity of Reading free essay sample

Many would argue that to read a novel is a difficult and complex art. For one to fully understand a story, one must acquire pre-requisite skills to take all that they can, from what the author has given. This is undeniably true, as both Virginia Woolf, in â€Å"How Should One Read a Book? †, and James Wood in â€Å"The Limits of Not Quite† prove, that reading to its potential requires an open mind, the independence of the reader to ignore the critiques of others, while having the ability to make his or her own. Far too often is it that people go into a novel with preconceived notions about its author, or the novel in particular. This is a huge mistake because â€Å"If you hang back, and reserve and criticize at first, you are preventing yourself from getting the fullest possible value from what you read. † (Woolf) The problem with going into a novel close-minded is that it restricts a person’s view of the content in the book. Meaning that the assumptions made prior to actually reading the book (whether they are positive or negative), will leave the reader with â€Å"blurred and divided minds. (Wood) The best way to go into a novel is to â€Å"banish all such preconceptions when we read. † (Woolf) With that, the reader can make his/her own connections, and thoughts on the book. Even if the book does turn out to be somewhat confusing, or simply, not of the readers taste, â€Å"you will be surprised, indeed you will be overcome, by the relics or human life that have been cast out to moulder. † (Woolf) No matter how terrible the book, there is always something for the reader in every novel, and that â€Å"something† can be anything from a life lesson, to reason in something that had previously been unclear. Bottom line is that all books have something for everyone, but can only be achieved with an open mind. Having a liberal mindset is tough, and is a reason as to why reading to its potential can be difficult. To experience reading to its full extent, one must have a strong sense of independence. Independence, or the freedom from control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others, â€Å"is the most important quality that a reader can possess. † (Woolf) Having this ability gives the reader the freedom to make their own connections or interpretations of the story. Every person will have their own unique thoughts and ideas on the book, so â€Å"nothing can be more fatal then to be guided by the preferences of others in a matter so personal. † (Woolf) This is why independence is so vital to the reader. When the reader allows him or herself be influenced by other people’s opinions, it takes a lot out of the experience of reading finding the pros, cons, connections, etc. is a huge part of the reading experience. Giving this power to the critics â€Å"is to destroy the spirit of freedom,† (Wood) that so many get from reading. To ignore the influence of others can be extremely difficult, but necessary part of reading to its potential. It is just another part of the difficult and complex pleasure, known as reading. In order to take reading to its potential, the reader must be able to make his/her own individual judgments based on the book if they enjoyed it, if not, or if the story itself was even believable, and why. The freedom to make such decisions can be quite a daunting task for some readers, as there can be so much going on at one time. The reader’s decision to believe, or not to, is a â€Å"belief that is requested, that we can refuse at any time, that is under our constant surveillance. †(Wood) The decision is ultimately made by the reader and may change several times throughout the course of a novel. This decision requires the reader to be independent, allowing him/her to make their own decisions on the point, because â€Å"fiction demands the belief from us, and that is demanding partly because we can choose to believe or not. (Wood) The decision of whether or not to believe is not the only decision which must be made by the reader, nor is it the most difficult. The most difficult task in passing judgment on a novel is â€Å"to press further, and say, ‘Not only is the book of this sort, but it is of this value; here it fails; here it succeed; this is bad; this is good’. † (Woolf) The process of evaluating the book, can also give the reader a different sense of what they had p reviously read, as he/she may come up with new ideas, that didn’t dawn upon them, while reading the book. This step in the reading experience takes a great sense of independence as well as an open mind. It is not an easy part of reading, but can open many new ideas to the reader, in a new light, that they had previously not previously encountered while actually reading the book. Reassessing what was read in a novel can be a quite difficult and complex process, but is vitally necessary for the reader, to taking all that they can from the book. Reading to its apex, requires the reader to make his/her own decisions, while keeping an open mind to the ideas of others. This can be quite difficult to achieve. For many even impossible, as far too often is the reader influenced by other sources, or are simply too close minded to accept anything new into their minds. To read this way, is not to read at all. Reading is a freedom, which has no limits, no bounds, and to read with a closed mind, is to put barriers where one should be free. Reading is an indulgence which should be effortless, yet taken with great passion. Work Cited Wood, James. â€Å"Introduction: The Limits of Not Quite† Woolf, Virginia. â€Å"How Should One Read a Book? †

The influence of gender on identity in contemporary Western Society Essay Example

The influence of gender on identity in contemporary Western Society Paper In this piece of work the ideology of gender identity in western society will be discussed, the piece will draw on the theories of multiple sociologist and examine the role of gender inequality in society. The Work will briefly examine Gender Identity Disorder and its relevance to western society today. The concept of identity is defined as â€Å"A sense of self that develops as a child differentiates from parents and family and takes place in society† (Jary Jary,1991). A person’s identity is what makes them whom they are and what groups they belong too. A person’s identity includes their ethnicity, nationality, sexuality class and gender. Our social identity is whom we are, whom we see other people are and respectively how other people see themselves and others. To sociologist the concept of identity is paramount, a person’s identity can take many facets that are ever changing, and with these changes there can be many contradictions. Many sociologists believe that identities are not simply formed because of the social groups we belong too. Some theorists believe our identities to be fractured and fragmented. Our identities can be and often are extremely stereotypical, one such stereotype is that of gender. We will write a custom essay sample on The influence of gender on identity in contemporary Western Society specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The influence of gender on identity in contemporary Western Society specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The influence of gender on identity in contemporary Western Society specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer â€Å"Gender is a term that has psychological and cultural connotations; if the proper terms for sex are ‘male’ and ‘female’, the corresponding terms for gender are ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’; these latter might be entirely independent of (biological) sex. (Stoller, 1968, p.9) To elaborate, it is not necessarily right to say that being female means they will be feminine and aversely being male does not make them masculine, girls are not necessarily compassionate or caring; boys are not necessarily competitive and aggressive. There are many differences between men and women; many contrasting approaches have been developed for the understanding of gender identity and the social roles based on such diverse identities. A difference between sex and gender must be understood. To clarify the difference between males and female sociologists use sex to show anatomical and physiological differentiation, by contrast gender concerns the social, cultural and psychological differences between men and women. Gender is socially constructed; a man is seen as masculine and women seen as feminine; these assumptions are not a direct link to a person’s reproductive biology. Many theorists argue that many aspects of human biology ranging from hormones and chromosomes and even genetics; the size of the brain is in some way responsible for the innate differences in the behaviour of males and females in the development of identity. If the definition of gender identity is to be either male or female, include inherited sex chromosomes at conception and the release of hormones during the foetal process can be used to determine the factors of gender identity. This is clearly simplistic and can be flawed. Genetics does not answer the question of how a person’s gender identity can change over time. â€Å"Two of the leading theories to explain the formation of gender identities are concerned with the emotional dynamics between children and their caretakers, according to such views gender differences are formulated ‘unconsciously’ during the early years of life, rather than resulting from a biological disposition.†(Haralambos p.110) Freud’s(1905) theory perhaps the most influential yet controversial suggests that gender is learnt and is the result of the absence or present of a penis; Freud is cautious when suggesting this and insists this is not just an anatomical distinction that matters; the penis is symbolic and divers to the persons gender. Masculinity –v- Femininity. Chodorows (1978, 1988) concepts of gender development adopted the strategy of Freud although argued that learning to be female or male derives from childhood and the development of attachment to the parents at an early age. It does not recognize the emphasis on the penis as the mother is the principal attachment in he early years this must be broken for the child to achieve a sense of a separate self. Chodorows has suggested that this breaking process is different for both boys and girls, girls remain closer to their mother and able to show emotion, love, hugging and kissing and imitating her mothers actions. Because there is no definite break the girl and later in life, women, develops a sense of self that continues with other people, and her identity is more dependent on others. Boys, on the other hand, have to develop their sense of self by a more drastic and radicle break, he must reject his mother in order to gain a sense of masculinity. As a result of this break, boys are less skilled in relating closely to others, this produce the man to have a more analytic view of the world and repress their own feelings and those of the world. Gender inequality and the patriarchy system stand hand in hand, Walby (1990) said â€Å"patriarchy is indispensable for analysis of gender inequality â€Å"(Haralambos. P112) In defining patriarchy, we can understand the treatment of women throughout ages and how it has moulded their success and future in life. Patriarchy not only explains how our society functions in the world as a whole and our modern western society but how it controls women. Patriarchy is a control by men. The opposite of patriarchy is matriarchy this means women are dominant and the head of families. Obviously, the culture of Great Britain and most other countries is patriarchal. Men are dominant and have the power and control the women. Consider the basics of how our society functions ! Most women in western society have to fight for their rights and sometimes can be seen to struggle just to survive without the domination of men threatening them. Whether an individual woman wants to overcome patriarchy will come from her strong inherent desire to be independent. Pollert (1996) commented that those sociologist who have rejected the concept of patriarchy have turned to postmodernism. Pollet does not agree with postmodernism. It has, in recent years become an influential approach to gender identity and sex. Barret and Phillips (1992) suggest that because of dissatisfaction of general characteristics of traditional male dominated social science new feminisms have developed; i.e. Women have developed a range of new female identities. Feminists have always been doubtful of theories developed by men, although in the past socialist and liberal feminists have embraced aspects of male theories. The certainties of the Marxist, liberal and radical feminists developed in earlier decades are no longer uncritically accepted. Harriot Bradley (1997) disagrees that neither postmodern or modern conceptions of identity are sufficient on their own. She comments â€Å"A key objective is to pull together classical or modernist approaches to understanding inequalities with he newer perspectives inspired by postmodernism and poststructuralism†. (Haralambos, p702). Bradley believes that in contemporary western society stratification systems and identities are becoming fragmented and polarised. Stuart Hall (1992) theorised on three stages of identity, one of these stages was that of Enlightenment. The enlightenment theory recognises that each person’s identity is unique and that a person’s identity could not be broken down or made into something bigger. Halls ideology can be linked with that of Descartes (1596-1650). He believed that humans were divided into two parts; mind and body or a dualistic conception, everyone has a separate mind. Descartes said â€Å"Cogito ergu sum† I think therefore I am. This meant that a person was free to be as he felt without the boundaries of society or tradition. Both postmodernists and feminists question Enlightenment thinking as they do not believe that male rationality is inadequate for understanding the western social world. Ann Oakley (2002) has developed a global perspective on the impact of global gender inequalities. She suggests that patriarchy has an impact on the social world as a whole and not just in gender inequality, she draws her ideas from several types of feminism, she is decidedly dismissive of postmodernism. She believes that postmodernism wraps intellectuals in cotton wool and isolates them from critical social debates. Oakley denies that men are biologically born aggressive, and many men opposed to violence. She does not believe that one gender should be dominant but does suggest that the system of patriarchy should change within western society. Oakley has a structural view of society, and that believes that both men and women collude to maintain the gender/sex system, however the position of men and women in the system is not equal; men do have more power than women. Oakley agrees that significant steps have been taken in regards to womens rights and that some forms of gender inequali ty are in decline in, western society, women are not restricted in education, property ownership or whom they can marry. Gender socialisation assists in the understanding of studies of gender roles and how agencies such as family and the media play an inherent role in such socialization. This approach suggests a distinction between biological sex and social gender; a child is born with the first and develops the second by contact and interaction of social agencies. Children will internalise gradually to the expectations and social norms dependent on its biological sex. Gender inequality is the result of males and females being socialized into certain roles. Campbell (1993) suggested a link in the changing role of men in western society. In the past, a young man was expected to be the bread winner, have a clear set of goals for life such as a legitimate job, a wife and a family. The role of bread winner is now under stress particularly for men in more under privileged areas, in these areas only long term unemployment is an option and the means to support a family are less likely. Women have become more independent and do not require the support of a man to reach a status in a wider society in the social western world. In 1997, it was requested that the diagnosis of gender identity disorder was removed from the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health) because it â€Å"implicitly labels homosexual boys as mentally disordered† (Isay.1997) Isays opinion was that the constructs of sexual orientation and gender identity are isomorphic. Many people with gender identity disorder became socially isolated, whether by choice or by ostracization, thus bringing on low self-esteem, depression and suicide. Peer ostracism and teasing are remarkably common for boys with the disorder in the education system. The requirements for Gender Identity Disorder (GID) to be diagnosed are exceedingly complex; the person must repeatedly state the insistence of wishing to be the opposite sex; refusal to wear stereotypical clothing; constant fantasies about being the opposite sex; the list is endless and no way exhaustible. The diagnosis of GID can take a minimum of two years. The generation in which we live today accepts boys whom openly dress up in clothes normally associated with girls. In an interview by fox news (2011) Dr Keith Ablow cautioned parents on allowing their children to watch transgender Chaz Bono on ‘Dancing with the stars’ for fear that their children would be influenced to swap gender. If the word of such people was adhered to the subject of gender identity would make it a flimsy susceptible construct, the choice between a rare steak and a fairy cake. This shows that, in some cases gender identity is not understood or accepted in western society by all. In conclusion, the gender identity of a person is a direct result of gender role socialisation, unlike a person’s sex which is biological. There are many differences between men and women; many contrasting approaches have been developed for the understanding of gender identity and the social roles based on such diverse identities. The enlightenment theory recognises that each person’s identity is unique and that a person’s identity could not be broken down or made into something bigger. Most women in western society have to fight for their rights and sometimes can be seen to struggle just to survive without the domination of men threatening them. Whether an individual woman wants to overcome patriarchy will come from her strong inherent desire to be independent. Patriarchy not only explains how our society functions in the world as a whole and our modern western society but how it controls women. Walby (1990) said â€Å"patriarchy is indispensable for analysis of gender inequality.†